Immigrant Women's Hunger Strike Ends, One Hospitalized

by Brittany Shoot · 2010-06-29 14:45:00 UTC
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How badly would you work for your citizenship? How much hell would you raise to draw attention to your cause? For  young women like Loida Silva, Viridiana Martinez, and Rosario Lopez, who just want to be recognized by the country where they've lived for their entire adult lives and most of their youth, the answer is simple: you'd go on a two week hunger strike.

Since June 14, the three undocumented immigrant women in North Carolina, members of NCDreamTeam, have been on a hunger strike to raise public awareness for the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented immigrant youth brought to the U.S. as minors a chance at obtaining citizenship by attending college or completing military service. They were also hoping to persuade Sen. Kay Hagan, North Carolina’s Democratic senator, to sponsor the legislation, though Hagan long ago flatly denied their request, saying she only favors "comprehensive immigration reform." On Sunday, due to the rising temperatures and North Carolina's sweltering summer humidity, Loida Silva was hospitalized with dehydration and heat stroke, and their strike ended in a small ceremony Monday night.

The young women may not have Social Security numbers or the proper paperwork, but they have all grown up as Americans, graduated from high school with honors, and have been successful in community college. Rosario Lopez graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in biology, but because of her immigration status, she can't apply to graduate schools or the laboratory jobs for which she is both eager and qualified. As a lot of us know, many so-called "good" jobs require backgrounds checks and an SSN.

In all of this, the women haven't tried to hide anything; they just want a chance at the same "American Dream" to which we all, to some degree or another, aspire. As Martinez said at the mic Monday night, "We don't want a free ride. The system is broken. There is no 'go back to your country and get in line.' There is no line."

Immigrant women deserve to be heard. Support the DREAM Act so that women like Loida, Viridiana, and Rosario don't suffer in vain.

Photo Credit: takomabibelot

Brittany Shoot is a freelance writer, editor and critic. She's one of the editors of the Feminist Review blog and a frequent contributor to a variety of progressive publications.
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